Egmont National Park

Egmont National Park, officially known as Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki, is a national park located south of New Plymouth, close to the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The park covers three volcanic cones: Taranaki Maunga and its slopes, Pouākai and Kaitake.^[1] The park was first created in 1881 as a forest reserve and went on to become New Zealand’s second national park, preceded by Tongariro National Park, in 1900.^[2][3]

Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki
IUCN category II (national park)
Taranaki Maunga
Interactive map of Egmont National Park
Location	Taranaki, New Zealand
Nearest city	New Plymouth, New Zealand
Coordinates	39°16′0″S 174°6′0″E
Area	341.7 km2 (131.9 sq mi)
Established	1900
Governing body	Department of Conservation

NASA satellite picture of Taranaki Maunga showing the nearly-circular national park surrounding it

The forest reserve was created within a six-mile (9.7 km) radius around the cone of the dormant Taranaki Maunga volcano. Areas encompassing the older volcanic remnants of Pouākai and Kaitake were later added to the reserve at the northwest side. The forest is surrounded on all sides by pasture, giving it a distinctly circular shape.

The official name of the park was changed from Egmont National Park to Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki on 1 April 2025.^[4]

Climate

The park receives massive annual rainfall. Moist westerlies from the Tasman Sea form orographic precipitation when they reach Taranaki Maunga and the adjacent Pouākai and Kaitake ranges. Since the area has high annual rainfall and a mild coastal climate there is a lush rainforest covering the foothills, a forest that is nationally significant for the total absence of beech trees (genus Nothofagus).

Ecology

Flora

A rich northern rātā/rimu/broadleaf forest is present, although the entire park ecosystem displays distinct patterns of altitudinal zonation – the former two large species of tree are common at lower elevations whereas kāmahi tends to dominate the stunted high elevation forest. In these old growth forests the crown fern (Blechnum discolor) is a dominant understory plant species.^[5]

The character of the plant communities continues to change with increasing elevation, to subalpine and alpine shrublands at high elevations, which are in stark contrast to the surrounding pasture farmlands. Notable among the geographical features of the park is its clear radial drainage pattern, which can be discerned in the satellite picture at right.

The Ahukawakawa Swamp is a rare high-elevation (920 m) sphagnum moss wetland located between Taranaki Maunga and the Pouākai Range. It contains many endemic species adapted to acid soils and low temperatures.^[6]

Fauna

The national park is integral habitat for many species of birds that rely on the large forest. Threatened bird species within the park include blue duck (whio), North Island brown kiwi and fernbird. Nearly half of New Zealand's indigenous fish species are found in the park, including threatened giant kōkopu, shortjaw kōkopu, banded kōkopu and kōaro.^[1]

Introduced feral goats have historically degraded the forest understory. However, the park was declared free of feral goats in 2022, the first national park in New Zealand to be free of ungulates, as it was already free of feral pigs and deer. Pest animals present include possums, rodents, hares, stoats, weasels and ferrets.^[7]

Gallery

• 
  Entrance sign, Egmont National Park
• 
  Low on the trail to the summit of Taranaki Maunga